Fluent material packaging machine



Jn- H i965 K. R. JOHNSON ETAL 392239434 FLUENT MATERIAL PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. l, 1963 4 SheeiS-Shest l l; mmv" i @Clerm )QQ/johndow Car! ci )56er L' 7 ai?, AAW y *L @W Jan. 11, 1966 K. R. JOHNSON ETAL 3,228,434

FLUENT MATERIAL PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Q v Jan. 11, 1966 K. R. JOHNSON ETAL 3,228,434

FLUENT MATERIAL PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 r A V/ 38 f 39 ,A uvam-rope;

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Jan. 11, 1966 K R JOHNSON ETAL 3,228,434

FLUENT MATERIAL PACKAGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. l, 1963 United States Patent O 3,228,434 FLUENT MATERIAL PACKAGING MACHINE Kenneth R. Johnson and Carl J. Beert, Rockford, Ill.,

assignors to Barteit Engineering Company, Inc., Rocktord, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 255,598 4 Claims. (Cl. 141-132) This invention relates to machines tor dispensing measured amounts ot fluent material such as powder into containers and, more particularly, to machines ot the type in which a sucession ot pockets such as tunnels arranged in edge-to-edge relation are advanced at a constant rate under and past a spout delivering a constant liow ot material to be packaged, each tunnel receiving a quantity ot material determined by the rate ot iiow and the speed and width ot the tunnels.

The general object ot the present invention is to achieve acurate measuring in a machine of the above character in which the tunnels are mounted on an endless flexible carrier and the adjacent edges ot sucessive tunnels are spaced apart a distance suflicient to accommodate relative movement ot the tunnels in passing around the arcuate portions ot the carrier.

A more specific object is to provide novel dividers having edges tor effecting a precise cut-oit ot the ow ot material into each tunnel while bridging the gaps between the tunnels, the dividers being mounted on the tunnels in a novel manner to accommodate such relative movement ot the latter.

Another object is to improve the slicing action ot the dividers and thereby reduce scattering ot the material by the divider.

Other objects and advantages ot the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the acompanying drawings, in which FIGURE l is a. schematic perspective view illustrating one type ot packaging machine in which the present invention may be incorporated.

FIG. lfL is a continuation of the right-hand portion of FIG. l.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken in a longitudinal vertical plane through the machine ot FIG. l and showing the iilling portion thereof.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3 3 ot FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view to a portion ot FIG. 2 with the parts in diiterent positions.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view ot the divider and the mounting therefor.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along the line 6 6 ot FIG. 2.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is incorporated in a packaging machine ot the type in which a succession ot edge-to-edge tunnels 10 are advanced with a continuous motion under and past a lling spout 11 which delivers a constant tlow ot uent material such as powder to the tunnels, each tunnel receiving a measured charge ot material depending in size upon the rate ot ow and the speed and width ot the tunnels. Disposed below and moving with the tunnels are receptacles such as bags 12 to be filled with the material dispensed by the spout and guided into the bags by the tunnels.

In the present instance, the illustrative machine is of the type in which the bags 12 are formed by drawing a web 13 (FIG. l) ot heat scalable material ott a supply roll 14, folding the web longitudinally, and advancing it endwise through heat sealing and cut-ott stations 15 and 17 respectively first to torm a series ot spaced cross-seals 18 in the web and then to sever the web between the edges ot the cross seals to torrn individual bags. After 3,228,434 Patented Jan. 1l., 1966 ICC being separated, each bag is transferred by rollers 19 to a horizontal conveyor 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3) continuously driven by the main drive shaft 21 (FIG. 3) ot the machine through a suitable drive connection (not shown). On the conveyor, the bags are held between clamps 22 and are advanced with their upper ends held open to receive material owing trom the spout 11 through the tunnels. A constant tlow of material is delivered to the spout in any suitable manner such as by an auger (not shown).

After being lled, the bags are closed by seal bars 23 (FIG. la) which torm a top seal 24 on each bag. The folding, sealing, cutting and transfer devices may take various torms well known to those skilled in the art and are illustrated only schematically herein.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, the tunnels 10 are rectangular in horizontal cross-section and taper downwardly trom open upper ends ot relatively large area to smaller lower ends opening into depending tubes 25 by which the material is guided into the bags. The tunnels are supported on a carrier formed by two endless chains 27 disposed in spaced horizontal planes and each trained around two sprocket wheels 28 and 29, the pairs ot wheels at each end ot the carrier being tast on vertical shafts 36 journaled on the machine base. The lett-hand runs of the chains are vertically alined and define the path ot the tunnels 10 in approaching and passing through the lling station 31.

To advance the tunnels past the spout 11 at a constant speed, the chains 27 are driven by an endless chain 32 running in a horizontal plane around a sprocket wheel 33 mounted on the upper end ot the right-hand shaft 30 (FIG. 2) and around another wheel 34 on the upper end ot a connecting shaft 35 (FIGS. 2 and 3) journaled on the base to rotate about a vertical axis. This shaft is driven trom the main drive shaft 21 through a chain 37 trained around sprocket wheels 38 and 39 on the drive shatt and on a stub shaft 40, the latter rotating the connecting shaft 35 through suitable bevel gears (not shown) in a gear box 41. The carrier chain-s 27 and the bag conveyor 21 are driven at the same speed to maintain the alinement ot the tunnels 10 and the bags 12 while passing through the tilling station 31. Sleeves 42 preferably are provided to telescope over and slide up and down on the tubes 25, the sleeves being lowered into the bags at the filling station to prevent spilling ot material and fouling of the top seal areas ot the bags during filling.

Each tunnel 10 is mounted on the chains 27 by means ot a V-shaped bracket 43 (see FIG. 6) tast at one end on the rear side ot the tunnel and having legs 44 projecting horizontally rearwardly and secured to a vertical mounting element 45 extending between the chains and secured at its opposite ends to the respective chains. Each element 45 comprises two spaced upright bars 47 joined across their ends by vintegral legs 48 (FIG. 2) which are tast on the chains. One leg 44 ot each bracket 43 is fastened to each bar 47 ot the associated mounting element,

Slidably guided between the bars 47 is a slide 48 upon which the sleeves 42 are supported. As shown most clearly in FIG. 6, tongues 49 project from opposite sides ot the slide into grooves in the bars 47 and a bracket 50 projects downwardly and forwardly from the slide to support the sleeve on the slide, the upper end of the sleeve being clamped onto the outer end ot the bracket 50. A follower roller 51 journaled on and projecting rearwardly trom the slide rides on a cam track 52 which lowers the slide relative to the bags to insert the sleeves in the bags as the latter approach the lling station 31 and then raises the sleeves out ot the bags atter the lling has been completed` To permit movement ot the tunnels 10 relative to each other in passing around the arcuate portions of the carrier, that is, the portions around the sprocket wheels 28 and 29, the adjacent edges of adjacent tunnels are spaced apart along the carrier as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6. Divider elements 53 in the form of Wedge-shaped bars are disposed over the gaps between the funnels to prevent spilling of material through the gaps and to effect a precise cut-off of the ilow into each funnel. Each bar overlaps the adjacent funnel edge-s and the vertices 54 of the bars extend transversely of the path of the funnels in evenly spaced relation. Side guards 55 secured to the opposite ends of each divider and extending longitudinally of the carrier prevent spilling of the material over the front and rear sides of the funnels.

In accordance with the present invention, the divider bars 53 are constructed and mounted in a novel manner to achieve accurate measuring without excessive splattering or spilling of material and without interfering with the relative movement of the funnels 10. To these ends, each divider is rigidly mounted on the carrier with respect to one of the associated funnels and is movable relative to the other so as to be free to shift relative to the other as the angular relation changes in passing around the sprocket wheels 28, 29. Further, the dividers are shaped in a novel manner to slice through the flowing material and reduce impacting of the dividers against the material.

In this instance, the divider bars 53 are rigidly mounted with respect to the leading funnel 1Q of each pair by means of L-shaped brackets 57 (FIGS. 3 and 5) fast at one end on the inner guard 55 and secured at the other end to one bar 47 of the associated mounting element 4S by means of screws 58 projected through the bracket and threaded into the bar 47. Lips 59 (FIGS. 4 and 5 depending from the forward portions of the guards 55 t down into the upper end of the leading funnel and against the side walls thereof, while another lip 60 (FIG. 4) is formed on the underside of the divider to tit over the trailing wall of the funnel and seat snugly inside the latter.

Both the guards 55 and the base 61 of the divider bar 53 project rearwardly well beyond the leading Wall of the next funnel with their undersides spaced from the top edges of the funnel as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the divider assembly overlaps the trailing funnel but is supported independently of and for movement relative to the trailing funnel.

As a divider passes through the column of material flowing from the spout 11, the vertex 54 of the bar 53 slices through the column to divert the flow into the trailing funnel. With the vertices of the bars evenly spaced and advancing at a constant rate, each funnel receives an accurately measured amount of material. Then, as the funnels pass around the sprocket wheels 27, 28 at the ends of the carrier, the divider assemblies first swing outwardly relative to the trailing funnels and then swung back into operating positions.

To improve the slicing action of the dividers 53, the leading faces 62 of the wedges are relieved downwardly and rearwardly (FIGS. 2 and 4) preferably at an angle correlated with the forward speed of the carrier and the rate of drop of the falling material so that a particle of material passes downwardly along a path closely adjacent the leading face without contacting the latter. Thus, the forward faces of the wedges impact against particles of the material only at the leading upper edge 54. Even if the angle and speed are such that there are impacts between the leading faces and some of the particles, these particles are deilected downwardly into the leading funnels rather than upwardly out of the funnels. In this manner, scattering of the powdered material is reduced with the result that neatness and accuracy are increased with machines of this type.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a machine for dispensing measured amounts of iluent material into receptacles, the combination of, a base, an endless iiexible carrier, means for mounting said carrier on said base with a `straight run of the carrier dening a path through a filling station and with arcuate portions of the carrier disposed beyond each end of said straight run, a plurality of funnels having open upper ends of equal width equally spaced along and mounted on said carrier with the adjacent edges of successive funnels spaced apart along the carrier, a spout mounted above said path at said lling station to deliver a continuous ow of material to said funnels, mechanism for advancing said carrier at a constant rate to move successive tunnels under and past said spout to receive equal amounts of material therefrom, divider bars of wedge-shaped cross-section overlapping the adjacent edges of adjacent funnels to bridge the gaps between the tunnels and each having a vertex extending transversely of said path to effect`a precise cut-off of the liow of material into each successive funnel, the leading face of each bar being relieved downwardly and rearwardly to reduce scattering of said material as the bar passes under said spout, and means mounting each of said bars rigidly on said carrier with respect to one funnel of said pair and for movement relative to the other funnel to accommodate movement of the funnels relative to each other in passing around said arcuate portions.

2. In a machine for dispensing measured amounts of fluent material into receptacles, the combination of, a base, an endless flexible carrier, means for mounting said carrier on said base with a straight run of the carrier defining a path through a filling station and with arcuate portions of the carrier disposed beyond each end of said straight run, a plurality of funnels having open upper ends of equal width equally spaced along and mounted on said carrier with the adjacent edges of successive funnels spaced apart along the carrier, a spout mounted above said path at said lling station to deliver a continuous flow of material to said funnels, mechanism for advancing said carrier at a constant rate to move successive funnels under and past said spout to receive equal amounts of material therefrom, divider bars of wedge-shaped cross-section overlapping the adjacent edges of adjacent funnels to bridge the gaps between the tunnels and each having a vertex extending transversely of said path to eect a precise cut-off of the ilow of material into each successive funnel, and means mounting each of said bars rigidly on l said carrier with respect to one funnel of said pair and for movement relative to the other funnel to accommodate movement of the funnels relative to each other in passing around said arcuate portions.

3. In a machine for dispensing measured amounts of fluent material into receptacles, the combination of, a base, an endless flexible carrier, means for mounting said carrier on said base with a run of the carrier detining a path through a filling station, a plurality of pockets having open upper ends of equal width equally spaced along and mounted on said carrier with the adjacent edges of each pair of successive pockets spaced apart along the carrier, a spout mounted above said path at said filling station to deliver a continuous flow of material to the pockets, mechanism for advancing said carrier at a constant rate to move successive pockets under and past said spout to receive equal amounts of material therefrom, and dividers overlapping the adjacent edges of said pockets t0 bridge the gaps between the pockets and having edges extending transversely of said path to elfect a precise cut-off of the flow of material into each successive pocket, each of said dividers being rigidly mounted with respect to one pocket of said pair and movable relative to the other to accommodate movement of the pockets relative to each other.

4. In a machine for dispensing measured amounts of fluent material to receptacles, the combination of, a base, an endless carrier on said base defining a path through a filling station, a plurality of pockets having Open uPPer ends of equal width equally spaced along and mounted on said carrier in edge-to-edge relation, a spout mounted above said path at said lilling station to deliver a continuous flow of material to said pockets, mechanism for advancing said carrier at a predetermined rate to move successive pockets under and past said spout to receive equal amounts of material therefrom, and divider bars of Wedgeshaped cross-section overlapping the adjacent edges of adjacent pockets as the latter pass beneath said spout and each having a vertex extending transversely of said path to eiect a precise-cut off of the ow of material into each successive pocket, the leading face of each bar being relieved downwardly and rearwardly from said vertex relative to the direction of movement of the bar to reduce scattering of `said material as the bar passes under the spout.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1902 Warren 141-165 XR 5/1948 Shaw et a1 141-131 8/ 1953 Bartlet 141-166 XR 12/1953 West 141-166 XR 7/1956 Jenner et al 141-131 XR 4/1959 Kay 141-132 FOREIGN PATENTS 7/ 1935 Great Britain.

LAVERN D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

4. IN A MACHINE FOR DISPENSING MEASURED AMOUNTS OF FLUENT MATERIAL TO RECEPTACLES, THE COMBINATION OF, A BASE, AN ENDLESS CARRIER ON SAID BASE DEFINING A PATH THROUGH A FILLING STATION, A PLURALITY OF POCKETS HAVING OPEN UPPER ENDS OF EQUAL WIDTH EQUALLY SPACED ALONG AND MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER IN EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATION, A SPOUT MOUNTED ABOVE SAID PATH AT SAID FILLING STATION TO DELIVER A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF MATERIAL TO SAID POCKETS, MECHANISM FOR ADVANCING SAID CARRIER AT A PREDETERMINED RATE TO MOVE SUCCESSIVE POCKETS UNDER AND PAST SAID SPOUT TO RECEIVE EQUAL AMOUNTS OF MATERIAL THEREFROM, AND DIVIDER BARS OF WEDGESHAPED CROSS-SECTION OVERLAPPING THE ADJACENT EDGES OF ADJACENT POCKETS AS THE LATTER PASS BENEATH SAID SPOUT AND EACH HAVING A VERTEX EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PATH TO EFFECT A PRECISE-CUT OFF OF THE FLOW OF MATERIAL INTO EACH SUCCESSIVE POCKET, THE LEADING FACE OF EACH BAR BEING RELIEVED DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FROM SAID VERTEX RELATIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE BAR TO REDUCE SCATTERING OF SAID MATERIAL AS THE BAR PASSES UNDER THE SPOUT. 